THE ARTISTIC ÉTUDE AS A GENRE OF ROMANTIC-ERA PIANO MUSIC: A MUSICOLOGICAL INQUIRY INTO ONTOLOGICAL TRANSCENDENCE

Abstract

This article explores the metamorphosis of the piano étude from a utilitarian pedagogical tool to a genre of Romantic expression. By examining the dialectic between the London and Viennese pedagogical traditions and the subsequent “concertization” of the genre by Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, the study identifies a fundamental shift in the ontology of virtuosity. Ultimately, the étude is redefined as a self-contained philosophical universe that synthesizes mechanical precision with aesthetic transcendence.